BIRMINGHAM, Ala (WIAT) – It’s a problem almost everyone has experienced – losing power on your cell phone or tablet when you really need it to work!

Tech Tuesday’s David Powell discusses the latest options to keep your electronic devices charged and on the go, without a traditional charger!

The following is David’s write-up on this topic:

Tech Tuesday: Staying charged on the go

We all love our mobile devices. But, we also know that sinking feeling when we get the “20% battery life” message and tremble when it goes below 10%. So, what are our options to charged but still on the go? There are some great options, let’s explore:

* So, huddling around the single power plug in the airport waiting your turn isn’t the way to go? No, it isn’t. We’ve all seen the huddled masses sitting on the floor around the one power plug in an older airport. But, you should have to do that anymore. There are several companies that are making devices to keep you charged on the go.
* So, the first option appears to be a case? Yes. The first option is a case that has an additional battery in it. This model (I will have an example on set) is a Mophie Juice Pack. You simply slide your iPhone, they make them for other devices as well, into the case. Then, when you get to that dreaded 20% zone on your battery life, you flip this little switch and it charges your phone all the way back up. You essentially get two charges for the day. One on your phone and one on the Juicepack. It really does a great job with adding too much weight to the phone. These run around $99 for the iPhone 5 case and are available as cheap as $60 for the 4/4S model. It really is great.
* Okay, what if I want to charge something other than my phone? Great question, I recommend the Mophie Powerstation. (I will also have one of these on set.) This is a portable battery with two USB ports on the side. So, you can charge your phone, your iPad, your tablet, whatever you want. They come in various sizes with the size determining how much “juice” is in it. This particular model sells for $99 and will charge your iPhone twice and your iPad twice. Or, it will charge just your iPhone about 4 times. It is a great tool to have. I recently chaperoned a trip and was in an amusement park all day and I carried this around to make sure my phone was ready to go all day. I carried it in my pocket without any trouble.
* Can this charge a laptop? These will not, but there are models that will charge a laptop and can charge up to 5 devices at one time. They are a good bit bigger than this, but still plenty portable so you can drop it in your backpack.

So, while most of us leave the house each morning with the battery indicator showing 100%, these devices should remove some stress so you won’t worry about losing power towards the end of the day.